Everglades National Park Hosts the South FL Foto Group

Everglades National Park invites the public to enjoy an art exhibit by the South FL Foto Group, entitled, “The Many Facets of the Everglades,” featuring stunning photographs of the Everglades. The collection will be on exhibit at the Ernest F. Coe Visitor Center Gallery at Everglades National Park during the month of April. 

South FL Foto Group brings a collaborative effort in showcasing the many aspects of the natural wilderness and dynamics of the Everglades. From abstract to black and white photography, wildlife and naturescapes, South FL Foto strives to bring a unique perspective in multiple facets of style and creativity. 

South FL Foto Group was established in 2012 and has exhibited many works in a variety of locations in Miami. The photographers are: Esther Rosado, Evelyn Garcia, Gil Barroso and Raul Concepcion. 

According to exhibit coordinator Evelyn Garcia, “Each photographer has visited the Everglades for many years and captured different seasonal changes. Each visit is as rewarding as the next, always unpredictable. The multitude of wildlife and plant life gives way to fantastic photographic opportunities. This exhibit is an example of capturing the moment as each photographer sees it.” 

An artists' reception will be held on Saturday, April 11, 2015, between 2-4 p.m. at the Ernest F. Coe Visitor Center. This exhibit will run through the month of April 2015. 

WHAT: South FL Foto Group Exhibition 

WHEN: April 2015; Artist’s Reception, Saturday, April 11, 2015 between 2-4 p.m. 

WHERE: The Ernest F. Coe Visitor Center Gallery 

The Ernest F. Coe Visitor Center is located at 40001 State Road 9336, approximately 10 miles southwest of Homestead. It features award-winning natural history displays, an 18-minute film about Everglades National Park, and related book sales. Center hours are currently 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. Beginning April 12, the Visitor Center hours will change for the summer season (9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily). Admission to the visitor center is free. For information and directions to the park call (305) 242-7700 (during regular business hours, Monday – Friday, 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.). 

This and other park news releases are available at http://www.nps.gov/ever/parknews/newsreleases.htm 

More information on Everglades National Park can be found on the park website at http://www.nps.gov/ever 

South FL Foto Group Website: www.flickr.com/photos/southflfoto 

 

 

March Field Trip - Nike Missile Tour

Images by Hugh Hudson

Images by Ken Johnson

March Field Trip - Big Cypress

Images by Kitty Perez

Images by Valerie Weatherspoon

Images by Ken Johnson

Images by Stephanie Snow

Images by Jason Eldridge

Understanding the Basics of Exposure Presentation

On Thursday, March 5th, the South Florida National Parks Camera Club, Inc. (SFNPCC) is hosting a presentation on “Understanding the Basics of Exposure” at the Villages of Homestead Clubhouse. The presentation, which runs from 7:00 pm  - 9:00 pm, will cover the basics from ISO to using the right shutter speed or if aperture has always given you trouble then this is the meeting for you.

South Florida based photographer and President of SFNPCC; Jason Eldridge will be giving the presentation. Jason has over 10 years of experience being a photographer. He fell in love with photography in 2001 when he ventured off to photograph the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. He spent four years photographing the Great Smoky Mountains until he moved with his family to South Florida in 2005. As a current resident of Homestead, FL. his main focus for nature photography now is the Everglades National Park and the other adjacent National Parks located in Southern Florida.  While nature photography is his passion, his love for photography is not limited to nature, landscapes, or wildlife. He has had the opportunity to photograph several weddings and family portrait sessions as well as a Tampa Bay Lightning hockey game.

During his photographic career Jason had a realization that he has a talent and love for teaching the photographic art form.  Based on this he has an active blog, he also actively posts on both Facebook and Google+ and even wrote an e-book called “Understanding the Basics of Exposure”.  His book tackles exposure specifically as many people struggle with this aspect.  Additionally, he has also designed two sets of presets for Adobe’s Lightroom to make post processing easier.  

During his presentation Jason Eldridge is going to cover everything you need to know to take better photos. From shutter speeds to apertures to depth-of field and much, much more, you’ll build an understanding of the core concepts every successful photographer needs to know. Whether you’ve just purchased your first digital camera or are a seasoned photographer ready for a refresher course, this presentation will give you the skills and inspiration to take your work to new heights.  A free copy of Jason Eldridge's e-book "Understanding the Basic of Exposure" will be provided to all club members via the 'members only' section of the website after his presentation.

Complimentary snacks and drinks will be provided during the presentation. Non-members of the SFNPCC club are welcome to attend but will be charged $10.  To reserve a seat please email: info@sfnpcc.org or visit our website http://sfnpcc.org for more details. 

February Field Trip - Shark Valley

Images by Kitty Perez

Images by Marilyn Baggett

Images by Sara Settles

Images by Kenneth Johnson

Images by Valerie Weatherspoon

Images by Michael Downs

Images by Jason Eldridge

Nationally-touring Art Quilt Exhibit Debuts in Biscayne National Park Gallery

HOMESTEAD, FLORIDA – A juried show of twenty-six art quilts created by 22 Florida artists will debut in Biscayne National Park's Dante Fascell Visitor Center Gallery on December 5, 2014. The show, titled Piecing Together a Changing Planet, highlights a few of the many ways that America's 401 National Parks are being impacted by climate change, water pollution, air pollution and other human-caused phenomena. On display through February 27, 2015, the show then moves on to 9 other National Parks and National Park partner venues as part of the celebration of the National Park Service's Centennial in 2016. The public is invited to meet with the artists responsible for the exhibit at a reception in their honor on Sunday, December 7, from 1-3 pm. The Gallery is located at 9700 SW 328 Street, 9 miles east of Homestead, Florida. The show is open daily from 9:00 to 5:00 through November 30, 2014. Admission is free.

The artworks were all created by members of Studio Art Quilt Associates (SAQA), a 3000-member national organization dedicated to promoting the art quilt through education, exhibitions, professional development, documentation, and publications. Far from utilitarian quilts traditionally used as bedcoverings, art quilts focus on aspects not only of stitching and piecing, but also of layering, "thread-painting"and graphic design. The resultant pieces are often literally and figuratively three-dimensional: showy pink ladyslipper orchids pop off the forested background, putting the viewer IN Great Smoky Mountains National Park;icy glaciers melt down into an ocean of bleached coral heads, tying two drastically different impacts of climate change together in one compelling piece.

Maya Schonenberger, the exhibit's curator, said that "the artists' goal was to help open people's eyes to the beauty of nature that surrounds them, and share their concern for its loss." Melani Brewer, one of the exhibiting artists, hopes that "our art will serve as a call to action to for viewers to take steps to protect our planet."

Meeting in Copenhagen in October, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) stated that the "warming of the climate system is unequivocal, and since the 1950s, many of the observed changes are unprecedented over decades to millennia. The atmosphere and ocean have warmed, the amounts of snow and ice have diminished, and sea level has risen." Many of these observed changes are especially apparent in America's national parks. "Stories of how artists have played a crucial role in environmental protection are legion," said Gary Bremen, a park ranger who helped coordinate the exhibit. "The arts convey beauty, fragility and urgency in ways that touch the heart and soul, thus opening the mind as well."

The national tour of Piecing Together a Changing Planet is made possible by SAQA and Biscayne National Park, with financial support from the National Park Service's Climate Change Response Program, the South Florida National Parks Trust, Les Bouquinistes Book Club and an Anonymous Donor. The South Florida viewing is part of the park's Community Artists Program, started in 1997 as an outlet for the works of artists who are inspired by the beauty of Biscayne National Park. The program is made possible by the South Florida National Parks Trust through the generosity of Sedano's Supermarkets and the Miami-Dade County Division of Cultural Affairs and the Cultural Affairs Council, the Miami-Dade County Mayor and Board of County Commissioners.

For more details about the exhibit, visit the show's website at www.NationalPark ArtExhibit.com, the park's website at www.nps.gov/bisc or contact park ranger Gary Bremen at 305-230-1144, x007. For regular updates from the park, "like" us on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/BiscayneNPS , or follow us on Twitter at www.Twitter.com/BiscayneNPS. For more information about Biscayne National Park, please visit the park website at www.nps.gov/bisc, or follow the park on Facebook at www.facebook.com/biscaynenps, or Twitter at www.twitter.com/biscaynenps.

 

South Florida National Parks Camera Club Hosting Bird Photography Presentation

On Thursday, February 5th, the South Florida National Parks Camera Club, Inc. (SFNPCC) is hosting a presentation on “Tips for Better Bird Photography” at the Villages of Homestead Clubhouse. The presentation, which runs from 7:00 pm  - 9:00 pm, will cover the basics of bird photography as well as tips for how the pros get the best shots. Nature photographer from South Florida, Lorraine Thomas will be giving the presentation. Lorraine has over eight years of experience photographing birds. At times photographing birds can be downright difficult, but amazingly fun and rewarding! 
             
Some of the best birding in South Florida is from January through March. Migratory waterfowls are particularly plentiful as are herons, egrets, plovers, and ibis as they stalk the mud flats in search of shrimp, marine worms, aquatic insects, and other tidbits. By far the best time for bird viewing is at low tide, when the mud flats are fully exposed.​

Lorraine Thomas began photographing in high school.  In college she took some photography classes as electives and that’s where she learned to develop B&W film and all about exposure.  All that served her well years later when she retook her hobby some 10 years ago, though no longer with film.  She recalls that the first time she went to the Everglades to photograph birds she was hooked.  A notorious sleepyhead, she found herself excited about waking up at 4 am to drive to the west coast to spend the entire day photographing shore birds.  That’s when she realized she had found her passion.  She spent the next eight years seriously photographing birds to improve her skills and her photographs.           

In the last couple of years, Lorraine has focused more on landscape photography.  She says she hasn’t forgotten or abandoned, her birds, but she just loves traveling.  She has also rediscovered her love for hiking and is now actively pursuing photography trips where she can combine both of these hobbies.  

Lorraine’s bird photography has been selected in contests such as NANPA, Audubon Magazine, and Nature’s Best Photography where her photograph was exhibited in the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History.  

Complimentary snacks and drinks will be provided during the presentation. Non-members of the SFNPCC club are welcome to attend but will be charged $10.  To reserve a seat please email: info@sfnpcc.org or visit our website http://sfnpcc.org for more details. 

Featured in the South Dade News Leader 1.30.15

Celebrate Homestead’s Leadership in Environmental Stewardship at the First Annual Homestead Eco-Fair

Learn about our South Florida ecosystems, see an organic cooking demonstration, take a nature photography workshop, ride the trolley to our National Parks, encounter live animals, and more…all at the first annual Homestead Eco-Fair. 

The FREE event will take place on Saturday, February 7, 2015 from 12pm to 3pm at Losner Park, located at 104 N. Krome Ave. Homestead, FL 33030 and will feature the Homestead National Parks Trolley. 

Visitors to the Fair can board the Homestead National Parks Trolley, which provides a free Ranger-guided tour and free admission to Biscayne and Everglades National Parks every weekend through April 22, 2015. R.L. Chaplin Photography, Inc. will run a special nature photography tour and workshop on selected Trolley tours during the Eco-Fair. Attendees at the Eco-Fair will also be able to connect with area environmental and nature organizations through a series of interactive displays—including the opportunity to see and touch Florida wildlife! 

In addition, there will be a full series of other educational speakers and demonstrations. The Youth Fishing Foundation will be hosting a special fishing demonstration for kids and the National Park Service will provide a kayaking demonstration as well. For book-lovers there will be a book giveaway thanks to the Kiwanis of Homestead/South Dade. Visitors to the fair will also have the chance to enjoy the delicious cuisine of some local food trucks. 

Miami-Dade County residents will be able to exchange three (3) old light bulbs for energy saving compact fluorescent light bulbs and exchange up to two (2) water-wasting showerheads for water efficient models thanks to the Miami-Dade County Extension Office. The event will also feature live music from Grant Livingston, a local folk singer embodying the very spirit that created Florida, and performances from the Homestead City Ballet and Expressions Dance Company. Foodies can enjoy food trucks and cooking demonstrations from local chefs. 

The Homestead Eco-Fair, organized by the City of Homestead in partnership with Homestead Main Street, is a chance for residents and visitors to connect with nature and celebrate Homestead’s leadership in environmental stewardship. As the Gateway to Everglades and Biscayne National Parks, the City of Homestead has a long-standing commitment to ensuring a high quality environment for its residents and future generations. 

Participating Organizations Include: 

350 South Florida 

Art of Cultural Evolution 

Beauty Schools of America 

Biscayne Bay Waterkeeper 

Chefs on the Run 

Everglades Association 

Everglades Bicycle Club 

Everglades Outpost 

Everglades Preparatory Academy 

Everglades & Biscayne National Parks 

Expressions Dance Company 

FL Native Plant Society 

Gateway Environmental K-8 Learning Center 

Homestead City Ballet 

Izaak Walton League of America 

Kiwanis of Homestead/South Dade 

MAST @ Homestead 

Paradise Farms Organic 

Safari EdVentures 

Sierra Club 

South Florida National Parks Camera Club 

Tropical Audubon Society 

Tropical Everglades Visitor Association 

Youth Fishing Foundation 

January 2015 Rodeo

Images by Mike Rogers

Images by Stephanie Snow

Images by Jason Eldirdge

Images by Kelly Bounchareune